The booking is secured. The shorts and bags are ready. The work handover is almost good to go. But before you jet off, here are a few tips.
1. Check your passport dates
This can catch the best of people. You need to check that your passport is in date, but also be aware that some countries like Turkey or Australia strictly require it to be valid for six months after your departure date. Check if visas are needed for your stay and apply in advance. Get a travel wallet and keep all documents safely in the one place. It’s also handy to have digital copies.
2. Get the EHIC card
“If you’re travelling in Europe, dig out your EHIC cards, the European health insurance cards. Make sure you have those [with you], and that they’re in date. Apply for them in good time if you don’t have one,” advises Orla Delargy, deputy director of communications at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The card covers free or reduced-cost healthcare in Europe.
See hse.ie
3. Check travel advice
This is particularly important if you are taking a long-haul holiday or travelling to multiple countries. Check the Department of Foreign Affairs website for up-to-date travel advice to your destination. It also provides security ratings for each country, an overview of laws/customs, climate and important embassy contacts.
See ireland.ie
4. Check baggage allowance
“A lot of people book their summer holiday in January, so if you’ve booked things at the start of the year, you might well have forgotten what you booked. Go back and check your flight details and baggage allowance,” recommends Orla.
“It is obviously cheaper to buy your luggage allowance in advance rather than in the airport.”
Get your weighing scales out to check bags are under your allotted weight.
If you’re on a budget carrier, be sure to check that your bags are the right dimensions/size or you could be penalised.
5. Medication
Ensure you have enough prescription medication for your stay and bring a copy of your script just in case or a doctor’s letter. Make your own small first aid kit with blister plasters, paracetamol, antiseptic cream, antihistamines, etc.
6. Travel insurance
Recent research by the CCPC found that 16% of people surveyed experienced issues in relation to holidays, primarily flight delays or flights being rescheduled. European consumer rights are strong in this area, according to Orla Delargy, and this is generally sorted out by airlines. However, if you want additional protection for illness or cancellation, travel insurance is a must.
“Seventy per cent [of people we asked] did have travel insurance, and most of them had an annual policy, and that is one way of doing it, where you don’t have to think about it; you do a kind of one-off, and it can be considerably cheaper to put it in place once a year. But you need to be very careful about renewals [or auto renewals].
“I ran into this myself about a week ago, where the renewal came through. It didn’t say on email; I had to click through, and they were proposing to put up my insurance by 50%,” says Orla. Her advice is to shop around in the weeks before you leave for the best value and check the conditions carefully before purchasing.
See ccpc.ie
Ensure you have enough prescription medication for your stay and bring a copy of your script just in case or a doctor’s letter. Make your own small first aid kit with blister plasters, paracetamol, antiseptic cream, antihistamines, etc
7. Get a secure backpack
One easy way to keep things safe and secure is to get a backpack with extra security features or a good crossbody or belt bag with plenty of pockets for wandering around to take in the sights. While some are marketed as anti-theft, nothing is completely secure; however, there are some additional features like lockable zips, blocking pockets and hidden compartments for extra peace of mind.
8. Check car hire booking
A recent survey by the CCPC found that four in 10 people had run into some kind of difficulty with car hire.
Some of the reasons for that were long waits in the airport, so being late for the pickup or your car hire booking being cancelled within one or two hours of the stated arrival time. The car not being as described, hidden charges or not meeting conditions, like having a printout of your booking were other issues cited. For some customers, this meant a booking being cancelled and having to start a new booking at a higher cost.
Another thing she recommends is that people use a separate credit card for car hire rather than using it for spending.
“Check what the credit limit is on your credit card and look at any terms and conditions associated with your car hire,” advises Orla. “Make sure you’ve got enough credit capacity on your credit card. They’ll [many companies] put a massive hold [on your card for security].
Be aware of booking with so-called third-party brokers because “you’ve got a contract with the broker, and then there’s a second contract with the car hire provider”, so you need to be happy with the contract.
If car hire is not covered in your travel insurance, Orla also advises taking out additional insurance before you travel, rather than an expensive option at the desk.
9. Airport entertainment
There can be a lot of waiting around at airports, so prepare for it with books, audiobooks, mini board games, an UNO card game or downloaded movies or podcasts. Chargers and travel adaptors are also a must.
10. Enjoy
Tuiholidays.ie has a handy tool to make your own bespoke list before you travel.
Tick off the items and then enjoy your break.
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